Vox Pop

Faiz’s verses conveyed the power of the written word

Kudos to Gopalkrishna Gandhi for reminding the readers of the greatness of Faiz Ahmed Faiz on his birth centenary (Words for all seasons, Incidentally, February 12). A poet, journalist and teacher, Faiz had also served in the British Indian Army. He was educated in Lahore, where he continued to live after Partition. The trauma of Partition was reflected in his poetry. When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, he flew from Lahore to Delhi for Gandhiji’s funeral. Faiz, which means dedication to the service of one’s fellowmen, showed that the pen is mightier than the sword.PS Pradeep, via email

PM’s silence better than speechThe editorial A welcome diwan-e-khas (Our Take, February 17) is a mild response to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tepid interaction with television editors. His answer to various critical questions were worse than his silence. It is unfortunate that Singh has admitted that he had to compromise national interests due to compulsions of coalition politics. His comparison of loss from the 2G spectrum scam to loss from subsidies is an attempt to defend corruption. Describing corruption as an aberration is over-simplifying the gravity of the crisis.SK Wasan, Noida

II

The prime minister did not sound convincing in his press conference and his efforts to put the blame on coalition partners and the Opposition were pathetic. He is the leader of the government and if he would like to take credit for its achievements, he should be man enough to own up to the failures. Singh is concerned only with his own image and not the festering corruption all around; he must realise that a person is known by the company he keeps.Ranjana Manchanda, via email